I have never been one for the month of February. It's cold, dreary, feels like the entire world is kissing death on the lips & I drink like a goddamn sailor on leave! And as we enter into the final week of the worst month of the year it brings a smile to my face to see such a collection of new music out today, thus signaling the end of winter! Suck on it Punxsutawney Phil! No matter the musical spectrum you find yourself in there is - truly - something for everyone today!

Let's dive in…

KID ROCK is back with album number 10, "First Kiss". Some feel KID may have slipped a little as he's aging and is now GRANDPA ROCK (his kid just had a kid) but there's one thing Kid knows how to do and that's pen hits. I suspect he'll continue forward, though might be more in the Top 40/Country charts than Rock.

ALL THAT REMAINS are back with a new jam, "The Order of Things". For those that enjoyed their last album, "A War You Cannot Win", I hate to break it to you but frontman PHIL LABONTE thought is sucked and that it was crap (paraphrasing his words). Phil's promising to do better this time around.

Twas 40 years ago today LED ZEPPELIN put out "Physical Graffiti" so how are they honoring it? By putting out a massive deluxe reissue. And no, this won't mean some sort of one-off reunion tour.

Mr. ROB ZOMBIE - arguably the JAMES BROWN of rock & metal - is putting out a live cd today in "Spookshow International Live". 19 tracks covering Zombie's career, not only solo but from the WHITE ZOMBIE days as well. His new flick 31 is opening its doors again for fan-backing as they had such success the first time around & had many late entries wanting to be part of the "most fucked up film of the year!" Follow the link for more info… http://www.fanbacked.com/c/31-rob-zombie-film/

Believe it or not the SCORPIONS are still rolling along & have a new disc out now, "Return to Forever".

One of the biggest characters to ever play the Blues, LEAD BELLY, spent time in jail, sang his way to freedom & notably influenced the likes of KURT COBAIN, JACK WHITE & a slew of other players today. I make mention of this as his Smithsonian Folkways Collection Box Set is available today! 5 discs, over 100 tracks and don't be surprised if you hear tunes that became covered over the years by many of your favorite artists.

And last & certainly not least, an album that I've heard & totally dug! Again, in the Blues vein but with modern players teamed up on it. Most recognizable being BARRETT MARTIN (WALKING PAPERS, SCREAMING TREES, MAD SEASON) & JIMBO MATHUS - who also served as producer- teamed up with CEDELL DAVIS on "Last Man Standing". Davis is damn near 90, full of piss, vinegar & stories as you can only imagine from a man who grew up in the blues & down in the Delta. True music aficionados will want to pick this up & give it multiple spins!

Here's what's expected, coming down the pike:

FOO FIGHTERS: SONIC HIGHWAYS will get the deluxe DVD/Blu-Ray treatment & see a digital release via iTunes on April 7th

THE SWORD is heading back into the studio on March 16th to work on their 5th studio album

BUCKCHERRY's JOSH TODD says the band is about half the way through their 7th album

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE are back into studio working on their 5th album with a tentative summer release

WOLFGANG VAN HALEN is working on his first solo album

SOUNDGARDEN is eyeing a 2016 release for their next album

FILTER is deep into recording their 7th album & frontman RICHARD PATRICK says the band is exploring a more industrial sound

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS with CHESTER BENNINGTON have been in studio putting the final touches on their latest un-titled effort & follow up to 2013's "High Rise".

AS ALWAYS, WHAT AM I MISSING?!?

HINDER “When the Smoke Clears” March 3rdMASTODON “Blood Mountain” Vinyl Reissue March 3rdIMMORTAL RANDY RHOADS – The Ultimate Tribute March 3rdLIEUTENANT (Foo’s Nate Mendel) “If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week” March 10thSOILWORK “Live in the Heart of Helsinki” March 13thSCOTT WEILAND & THE WILDABOUTS “Blaster” March 31stTHREE DAYS GRACE “Human” March 31stVAN HALEN “Tokyo Dome Live In Concert” 2-CD’s / 4 LP’s March 31stHOLLYWOOD UNDEAD “Day of the Dead” March 31stAGNOSTIC FRONT “The American Dream Died” April 4thHALESTORM “Into the Wild Life” April 7thFOO FIGHTERS: SONICE HIGHWAYS DVD/Blu-Ray/iTunes
LOCAL H “Hey Killer” April 14thMONTAGE OF HECK Kurt Cobain Doc on HBO April + Book DUFF McKAGAN “How To Be A Man (And Other Illusions)” Book MayQUIET RIOT Documentary “Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back” May 19thFAITH NO MORE “Sol Invictus” May 19thMASTODON “Crack the Skye” Vinyl Reissue June 2ndCOREY TAYLOR “You’re Making Me Hate You” Book June 30thMASTODON “The Hunter” Vinyl Reissue August 4thMASTODON “Once More ‘Round the Sun” Vinyl Reissue October 5th“CLOCKWORK LIVES” Rush’s Neil Peart + Kevin J. Anderson Book September 15thVINNIE PAUL “Drumming Up an Appetite with Vinnie Paul” Book around ChristmasUGLY KID JOE “Uglier Than They Used Ta Be” TBA crowdsourcing RICHARDS/CRANE “World Stands Still” Whit Crane UKJ + LEE RICHARDS (Godsmack/Another Animal)

The internet is a wild thing, isn't it!?!
I love finding these little lost gems (RIP MCA) showcasing bands when they're supper young!
Like this one, where the Beastie's talk about a now famous run in with the police while they opened for Madonna!
Enjoy!

It's another Tuesday here in Kansas City, where we've been enjoying some unseasonably warm days!
There's quite a few new jams coming down the pike, not much for today other than;

BLACKBERRY SMOKE with "Holding all the Roses". Catch these guys next Friday, the 20th, at the Uptown

RAMONES, "Live at German Television Musikladen Recordings" 1978 LP/DVD

And we finally have a date - May 19th - for new FAITH NO MORE & a title "Sol Invictus";

Word on the street is SEVENDUST will be heading back into the studio, very, very soon;

It was also announced today that HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD will drop "Day of the Dead" on March 31st!

And I'd be remissed if I didn't mention this interesting project featuring DANNY CAREY, TOOL drummer, with BRENT HINDS of MASTODON with OFF!'s DIMITRI COATS; LEGEND OF THE SEAGULLMEN. Check their sound out by following this LINK!

#ICYMI - as mentioned on the last couple of Weekly Rock Wind Up's!

SLASH has 4 new film projects in the works

UGLY KID JOE are working on a new album via crowd source funding! Follow link --> HERE!

Speaking of UKJ; Frontman WHIT CRANE has teamed up with LEE RICHARDS (GODSMACK/ANOTHER ANIMAL) to form RICHARDS/CRANE & they plan on putting out a debut album, "World Stands Still", later this year.

Here's the first single/video from that project, with ALTER BRIDGE front-dude MYLES KENNEDY

HELLYEAH drummer VINNIE PAUL is promising he's putting out his long-awaited cookbook, "Drumming Up An Appetite with Vinnie Paul" by the Holiday's!

The New York Hardcore Chronicles Film will be recorded this year with a 2016 expected release date!

VAN HALEN will release it's first live album with DAVID LEE ROTH on March 31st; "Tokyo Dome Live In Concert"!

Fresh off their Grammy nominated attendance, and subsequent ejection, MASTODON will re-release all their REPRISE titles on wax! Starting with "Blood Mountain" on March 3rd.

A definitive BEHEMOTH biography is expected out on the 24th of this month!

And finally, this one's for you A-Hole Bob, NEIL PEART from RUSH is working on a follow up to his best-selling "Clockwork Angels", with author KEVIN J. ANDERSON, "Clockwork Lives". Be on the look out for it on September 15th!

Know of anything I'm missing?!?

SCORPIONS “Return to Forever” February 20thKID ROCK “First Kiss” February 24thALL THAT REMAINS “The Order of Things” February 24thROB ZOMBIE “Spookshow International Live” Feb. 24thLED ZEPPELIN “Physical Graffiti” Reissue Feb. 24th HINDER “When the Smoke Clears” March 3rdIMMORTAL RANDY RHOADS – The Ultimate Tribute March 3rdSOILWORK “Live in the Heart of Helsinki” March 13thSCOTT WEILAND & THE WILDABOUTS “Blaster” March 31stTHREE DAYS GRACE “Human” March 31stAGNOSTIC FRONT “The American Dream Died” April 4thMONTAGE OF HECK Kurt Cobain Doc on HBO April + Book HALESTORM “Into the Wild Life” April 7thLIEUTENANT (Foo’s Nate Mendel) “If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week” March 10thLOCAL H “Hey Killer” SpringFAITH NO MORE “TBA” MayDUFF McKAGAN “How To Be A Man (And Other Illusions)” Book MayQUIET RIOT Documentary “Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back” May 19thCOREY TAYLOR “You’re Making Me Hate You” Book June 30th

I can recall the very first time I saw this scene. I had just moved back to Kansas City, was living in my mom's basement, and was losing my sh!t - laughing my ass off! My Ma thought I was choking and yelled downstairs at me to make sure I was alright!

PAPA ROACH kicks out "F.E.A.R" and if you caught JACOBY SHADDIX on JDMS you know these guys went into the studio with nothing but a desire to work together and put out a new disc.

Lots of kids out there are diggin on the band PERIPHERY & their double disc that drops today, "Juggernaut: Alpha / Juggernaut: Omega".

Grindcore icons NAPALM DEATH have new work out today in "Apex Predator - Easy Meat".

If you're a fan of THREE DAYS GRACE, just got word their forthcoming album (due out 3/31) will be titled "Human". FAITH NO MORE is moving the release date, now, to May for their as-yet-titled album.

Here's what's coming down the pike.
What am I missing?

SCORPIONS "Return to Forever" February 20th
KID ROCK "First Kiss" February 24th
ALL THAT REMAINS “The Order of Things” February 24thLED ZEPPELIN "Physical Graffiti" Reissue February 24th
ROB ZOMBIE "Spookshow International Live" February 24th
HINDER “When the Smoke Clears” March 3rdIMMORTAL RANDY RHOADS – The Ultimate Tribute March 3rdSOILWORK "Live in the Heart of Helsinki" March 13th
SCOTT WEILAND & THE WILDABOUTS “Blaster” March 31stTHREE DAYS GRACE “Human” March 31stAGNOSTIC FRONT “The American Dream Died” April 4thMONTAGE OF HECK Kurt Cobain Doc on HBO April + Book HALESTORM “Into the Wild Life” April 7thLIEUTENANT (Foo’s Nate Mendel) “If I Kill This Thing We’re All Going To Eat For A Week” March 10thLOCAL H “Hey Killer” SpringFAITH NO MORE “TBA” MayDUFF McKAGAN “How To Be A Man (And Other Illusions)” Book MayQUIET RIOT Documentary “Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back” May 19thCOREY TAYLOR “You’re Making Me Hate You” Book June 30th

Sometimes cover songs are better than their predecessors.
Sometimes they fall short!
I suppose art is in the ear of the beholder as below are two covers for you to chew on.
Let me know in the comments what you thought on these two!

For whatever reason "Born Villain" dropped by MANSON back in 2012 received So-So reviews and accolades and though "The Pale Emperor" is in the same vein many a folks are saying this is brings us back MARILYN MANSON. Whatever the f*ck that means! I've been giving a few tracks a listen for about a month now and like most of his work I dig it! No word on when a tour will make it's way back to KC but as soon as we know, you'll know!

Looks like the folks in MOTORHEAD'S camp are keeping things alive with a new Blu-Ray, "Stage Fright".

According to their official Instagram account METALLICA are "Rocking along" on new stuff.

SOILWORK will roll out their 1st live DVD/Blu Ray on March 13th "Live in the Heart of Helsinki"

HALESTORM'S new jam, "Into the Wild Life" will be out April 7th.

LED ZEPPELIN'S "Physical Graffiti" gets the deluxe reissue treatment 40 years to the date of it's original release, February 23rd.

FEAR FACTORY inches closer to completing it's next album, which is slated to drop within the coming months. According to their people drums, guitar & bass are completed.

ROB ZOMBIE'S live CD "Spookshow International" will drop in February on the 24th.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS with CHESTER BENNINGTON are at work on their follow up to 2013's, "High

Rise".

Here's what's left, and as always, What am I missing?

PAPA ROACH “F.E.A.R” January 27thKID ROCK “First Kiss” February 24thALL THAT REMAINS “The Order of Things” February 24thHINDER “When the Smoke Clears” March 3rdSCOTT WEILAND & THE WILDABOUTS “Blaster” March 31stTHREE DAYS GRACE MarchFAITH NO MORE April LOCAL H “Hey Killer” SpringCOREY TAYLOR “You’re Making Me Hate You” Book June 30th